


Don't Call My Eames

by ivynights (incantatem)



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-12
Updated: 2011-12-12
Packaged: 2017-10-27 05:56:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/292361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/incantatem/pseuds/ivynights
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eames' ex shows up on a job. Jealous!Arthur ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Call My Eames

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [this](http://community.livejournal.com/inception_kink/3434.html?thread=3501930#t3501930) km prompt.

His name is Alejandro. Of course his name is Alejandro.

.

Alejandro shows up in the warehouse on a Wednesday afternoon, right in the middle of Arthur's presentation of his research on their latest mark. He is a _very_ good looking man, although Arthur would never be caught dead in his wardrobe, which seems to consist solely of spandex and leather.

Arthur and Dom are standing, facing the doorway, and therefore see him first. They both lock eyes in confusion. Dom raises an eyebrow and Arthur takes action. "Excuse me. Can I help you with-"

"EAMES!"

Eames, who had been slouched in his chair insouciantly, attention fixed sharply on Arthur, despite not actually paying attention to a word he's saying, sits up in his chair almost comically fast. His eyes widen and Arthur doesn't think he's ever seen Eames so caught off guard.

"I found you, Eames! You didn't really think I would just let you wander away and leave me without any explanation at all!"

Eames gets out of his chair and turns around to face the intruder. "Alejandro. What are you-"

"I have sources too you know! You’re not _that_ hard to find!”

Eames glances back at the semi-circle of chairs filled with his associates. He studiously avoids Arthur's eyes but shoots Dom a look that can only be called apologetic. Arthur thinks Eames looks almost embarrassed, a sight he's never seen before.

"C'mon, Alejandro, let's take this outside."

.

Eames wanders back into the warehouse twenty minutes later, alone and maddeningly unflustered. Luckily, he doesn't look ravished.

He says that Alejandro’s his ex-boyfriend. Arthur didn’t think Eames even properly dated. But apparently leather wearing drama queens with curly dark hair and too white teeth are his thing.

"Don't underestimate Alejandro," says Eames, "He's a bloody good forger. Almost as good as me."

"You two back on good terms yet?" asks Dom.

"We can be."

"Make it happen. We can use him."

Arthur shoots Dom a look of deep betrayal. True, just yesterday they been discussing the possibility that they might need a second forger for their current gig - a notion Eames had been shooting down vehemently, all arrogance that he'd be able to do it all himself - but they were only on the stage of speculation. The team's not ready for this. _Arthur's_ not ready for this. They don't even know the guy and Arthur will have to completely rewrite his security plans to account for one extra body and… Eames can’t possibly be okay with having his by what all accounts seems to be a crazy, stalker ex-boyfriend on the team with them.

“That alright with you, Eames?” says Dom. It’s not really a question.

“Of course it is, boss,” says Eames, “I’m sure it will be… _enjoyable_ having him around.” His tone is salacious.

Arthur’s glare deepens. He really doesn’t like this plan.

“Something wrong, Arthur?” asks Ariadne, too innocently.

“What? No, of course not,” Arthur responds quickly, turning to face the writing board and quickly composing his face to its usual blank slate. He picks up the marker and starts reorganizing his notes to account for Alejandro’s presence. “It’s quite convenient that he showed up now. I’ll be glad to use him.”

He doesn’t look Eames in the face for the rest of the meeting.

.

Alejandro and Eames saunter into the warehouse the next day. Arthur can’t say the next morning, because it’s just past noon. Unacceptably late. Alejandro’s expression is smug and Eames looks even less put together than usual and Arthur has no doubt about the reason for their tardiness.

Dom is off in the dreamscape giving Ariadne further lessons, Yusuf is communing with his chemicals, and Saito is off in Japan somewhere, no doubt diving into a swimming pool full of money, so it’s just Arthur left in the room. And Eames. And Alejandro.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your pretty little friend?” asks Alejandro.

“Ah. Of course. Arthur, this is Alejandro. Alejandro, Arthur.”

“I wish I could say I’ve heard so much about you,” says Alejandro, coy little smile on his annoyingly handsome face, “But Eames and I haven’t been speaking for the past few months.”

“Oh? I thought it was just Eames who wasn’t speaking to you,” says Arthur coolly. “And Eames and I have been speaking. I still haven’t heard anything about you.”

Alejandro drops the smile and replaces it with a little sneer that Arthur knows he deserves. Eames, who usually cares so little for social niceties and rewards sniping banter, shoots Arthur a tiny glare.

Alejandro goes over to the table Eames has claimed as his own. Eames puts a hand on Arthur’s shoulder and leans in close to his ear. “What are you doing, darling? Cobb said to get him on our good side.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like him. And that didn’t mean you had to _sleep_ with him.”

“Just because we’re not all as repressed as you, Arthur, dear. No need to be so judgmental.”

Eames walks over and rejoins Alejandro, sliding one arm around his waist in a mollifying manner.

The point man and the forgers stick to their respective sides of the warehouse for the rest of the day. Arthur can’t pay attention to his work at all. Rationally, he should be able to. It’s quieter than it normally is with most everybody out of the room and Eames and Alejandro are discussing forging options quietly but everything just feels off.

Normally, Arthur tries to get his work done in between bouts of ignoring Eames trying to get his attention, threatening him with bodily harm when Eames tries to rumple up Arthur’s pomaded hair, rolling his eyes when Eames inevitably turns said threats of bodily harm into sexual innuendo.

It’s too quiet now.

“Ahem,” comes a small cough from behind him. Arthur twists his head around to see Ariadne and Dom standing behind him. Ariadne’s got a tiny, amused smile on her face and Dom has one eyebrow raised. Arthur’s embarrassed they caught him staring at Eames’s back but he covers as best he can.

Unfortunately, he can’t even convince himself that he covers very well.

.

The next few days progress in much the same way, and by _progress_ Arthur means devolves into a special, irrational kind of torture.

Eames spends less and less time trying to get Arthur’s attention and more and more time cozied up with that ridiculous, horribly dressed bastard.

It’s stupid. Arthur knows it’s stupid and he _loathes_ doing anything illogical but he just can’t help shooting daggers at Alejandro’s back and spending more time plotting myriad ways of lighting Alejandro’s wardrobe on fire than performing the background research on their mark that is his specialty.

He even starts researching Alejandro instead, and he can admit to himself that he’s looking for some grand tarnish, something that would give him an excuse to convince Dom to kick Alejandro off the team, but all he finds is praise for Alejandro’s many jobs well done.

Ariadne’s not even bothering to hide her amusement at the situation any longer. Arthur’s little… jealously problem has apparently become undeniably obvious.

“How’s it going there, Arthur?” she asks when she passes his desk, sympathetic smirk on her face.

“Oh… shut up,” Arthur says without any heat.

“My how the tables have turned,” laughs Yusuf. “I suspect you’ll be going over there and making a fool of yourself to flirt with Eames any moment now!”

This time Arthur’s response does have a bit of heat to it.

But still, it doesn’t become a problem until Dom approaches him about it, one eyebrow raised. In fact, Dom says, “Is this going to be a problem, Arthur?” and Arthur doesn’t even pretend not to know what he’s talking about.

“No,” Arthur promises, “I’ll get it under control.”

“Good,” says Dom, “’Cause I was expecting the report on our target’s husband to be on my desk yesterday.”

.

Arthur has no idea why Eames hasn’t noticed Arthur’s kind of enormous jealousy issue but he hasn’t. Perhaps it’s because Eames had gotten so used to rejections from Arthur that he hadn’t noticed that lately they had been much more routine than truly felt. That Arthur didn’t really mind the odd arm around his shoulder, or the teasing come-on, or the ridiculous term of endearment (messing with the hair, however, was still cause for near fatal injury).

Arthur suspects Alejandro is not nearly so oblivious, but he doubts he’s brought it to Eames’s attention.

.

Arthur tries really hard to make it not be a problem. He brings his ipod to work and ignores Eames and Alejandro before they can ignore him. He stops conducting secret background research on Alejandro. He tries not to be bothered by the fact that Eames has completely stopped calling him any of his stupid pet names.

It helps a little. But not very much.

.

The entire group is in the middle of a meeting when Arthur finally snaps.

Dom is taking suggestions on how to deal with a problem on the second level when Alejandro pops up with an admittedly very smart suggestion that would solve the issue completely.

Eames shoots Alejandro an approving look and says, “Good idea, darling.”

And that’s it. That’s _it_. That’s _his_ name. Arthur will not deal with this anymore. Alejandro has got to go. It’s irrational but it just has to happen. _Now_.

Arthur’s hands are curled into fists at his sides. He’s pretty sure he can’t justify punching Alejandro. But there’s something else he can do instead.

He strides across the circle before he has time to talk himself out of it and grabs Eames by the lapels of his stupid tweed jacket, pulls him up out of his chair, and kisses him full on the mouth. It’s hard, and furious, and Eames is too surprised to kiss back at first but he quickly gets with the program and slides his tongue along Arthur’s. One of Eames’ hands is on Arthur’s shoulder and the other’s in Arthur’s hair, certainly messing it up, and Arthur doesn’t even want to kill him for it. He just wants more more more.

When they pull back, they’re both a little bit breathless. The rest of their audience is looking on in stunned silence. Ariadne looks delighted. Alejandro’s got a thundercloud expression and his brows have pulled together into a dark v.

“ _Arthur_ ,” says Eames, “What prompted that-“

“I’m laying my claim.”

“What?” Eames is staring at Arthur intently. Arthur is staring Alejandro straight in the eyes. “…Ahh. I see.”

“No more of this, you hear me? You’re mine, Eames.” Arthur glares at Alejandro, who’s glaring back just as fiercely. “He’s _mine_.”

Alejandro gets out of his seat and huffs out of the warehouse, slamming the door behind him.

Arthur watches him go, then turns back to look at Eames slightly nervously. He’s still got him clutched close to his body by his lapels. Eames is looking at him slightly wonderingly.

“Um,” says Arthur, “Let’s take this somewhere more private for a moment.”

.

That night they lie curled together in Arthur’s bed (they’re not sure if Alejandro’s still staying at Eames’s and they don’t want to check).

They’re both slightly sappy in the afterglow, so many years of pent up tension unwinding and melting into something soft and sweet.

“Darling,” says Eames, voice warm and fond, “You know you never had any competition.”

.

The next day at work, Dom pulls Arthur aside and raises both eyebrows.

“What?” Arthur says, “Problem solved!”


End file.
